NFL

We’re finally to the final division in the AFC after going through the East, North and South. The AFC West saw key changes to all the teams in the division. Kansas City took the division last year and Denver was one of the more disappointing teams in the league. Oakland is trying to repeat their successful season from two seasons ago. The Los Angeles Chargers have the potential to shock a lot of teams and possibly take the division. In the end, can the Chargers finally capture their first division title since 2008? Let’s see how things will play out this year.

Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos finished with a 5-11 record last season and they finished last in their division. The Broncos are hoping that they found their franchise QB in Case Keenum. Case Keenum is hoping to duplicate his success he experienced with the Vikings last season. Denver lost a key part of their defense when Aqib Talib was traded to the Los Angeles Rams. With their first round draft pick, Denver selected Bradley Chubb to go on the other side of Von Miller. Denver is hoping to get back to having a dominant defense that’s lead by two great edge rushers. I’m a huge fan of Case Keenum and his story, but I don’t think he’s the answer for Denver. Denver will improve from a year ago, but still will miss the playoffs as they’ll finish with a 7-9 record.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs finished with a 10-6 record last season, finished atop of the division, but lost in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. Kansas City will be turning to their future as they traded Alex Smith to the Washington Redskins. Patrick Mahomes will take over the QB position as he has one of the better arms in the league. Kansas City have a plethora of weapons on offense like Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. They added another deep threat in Sammy Watkins to go with this high level offense. The Chiefs are hoping that Eric Berry can return to Pro Bowl form and anchor that defense that loss Marcus Peters. Patrick Mahomes will go through growing pains, but he’ll lead the Chiefs to another 10-6 record.

Los Angeles Chargers

The Los Angeles Chargers finished with a 9-7 record last year and barely missed the playoffs. The Chargers are hoping they can stay healthy for an entire season and make a run at the division crown. Los Angeles still have Philip Rivers at QB and he’s money. Keenan Allen is one of the top-5 WRs in the game and he should have another great season. If healthy, Mike Pouncey could help man up that offensive line to help out Rivers and the run game. With their first round pick, they drafted Derwin James and he could be an impact player in that secondary. I’m predicting a great season from the Chargers that will end in a playoff appearance by finishing with a 11-5 record.

Oakland Raiders

The Oakland Raiders finished with a 6-10 record after having an impressive season the year before. Oakland made several changes during the offseason with hopes of getting back to the playoffs. First off, they brought back their old coach in Jon Gruden by giving him a 10-year deal. On the offensive side of the ball, they’re hoping Derek Carr can remain healthy for an entire season. The year before, Carr looked like an MVP candidate, which is why they gave him a huge contract extension. They brought in Jordy Nelson to offset the loss of Michael Crabtree, plus they signed RB Doug Martin. They vamped up their defense, but Khalil Mack is still missing as he’s holding out for a new contract. Oakland will improve from a year ago but will miss the playoffs with an 8-8 record.

My 2018-2019 AFC West Prediction

Los Angeles Chargers 11-5

Kansas City Chiefs 10-6

Oakland Raiders 8-8

Denver Broncos 7-9

What do you think about my thoughts of the AFC West this upcoming season? How do you see things playing out? Can the Chargers overtake the Chiefs for the division? Will the Raiders or Broncos make a run? Leave a comment below.

Now that we have the NFC East and North out of the way, we head to the NFC South. Last year was a 3-team race between the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints. The Saints won the division with the Falcons and Panthers finished a game behind. This year we should have the same kind of race, but Tampa Bay could be a part of it. Atlanta and New Orleans are two of the favorites from the NFC to reach the Super Bowl. Will Tampa Bay be a part of this proposed 3-team race to win the division? Can this division produce three teams to make the playoffs? Let’s take a peek at what should transpire for the NFC South?

Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons finished with a 10-6 record and lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Atlanta definitely had an unforgettable offseason that saw them honor Matt Ryan with a huge contract extension. They lost Taylor Gabriel through free agency, but they drafted Calvin Ridley with their first round pick. The big news was the uncertainty of the future of Julio Jones as they had contract issues but was later resolved. With the Super Bowl being in Atlanta this year, can the Falcons be the first team to have a home Super Bowl game? If healthy, Atlanta is solid on both sides of the ball and Matt Ryan could have another MVP type season. Atlanta should be in the running for the division as I’m predicting they will finish with a 11-5 record.

Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers finished with a 10-6 record and they lost to the New Orleans Saints in the Wild Card. Carolina surprised many last season with their playoff run because there were many uncertainties. Carolina continues to try to replace Josh Norman in the secondary by adding Ross Cockrell and Da’Norris Searcy. They also added Dontari Poe and re-signed Julius Peppers to help on the defensive side of the ball. Thomas Davis will miss the first four games due to suspension. On the offensive side of the ball, they loss Jonathon Stewart from their backfield, who’s been there for the last decade. Carolina will have a decline this season as I’m going with them to finish with an 8-8 record.

New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints finished with a 11-5 record, won the division and lost to the Vikings in the Minnesota Miracle. New Orleans are in win mode right now and they secured Drew Brees a few more years by giving him an $50 million extension. On the offensive side of the ball, New Orleans brought in Ben Watson to help out Drew Brees more. New Orleans continued to upgrade their defense with several signings. Alex Okafor, Patrick Robinson and Demario Davis were brought in. As mentioned above, New Orleans is considered one of the favorites to make that Super Bowl run. New Orleans should be in the position to win the division as they finish with a 11-5 record.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Buccaneers finished with a 5-11 record last season and finished at the bottom of the division. The big news coming from Tampa Bay is Jameis Winston being suspended the first three games of the season. With so much focus being put on Jameis Winston, the Bucs upgraded their defense in a major way. Tampa Bay started out by traded for Jason Pierre-Paul from the New York Giants. In free agency, they brought in Vinny Curry and Beau Allen from the Philadelphia Eagles. If the Bucs defense can live up to their expectations, this defense could be one of the better ones. With Winston missing the first three games, it’ll be hard for the Bucs to make up those games. I’m predicting the Buccaneers will finish with a 6-10 record.

My 2018-2019 NFC South Prediction

New Orleans 11-5

Atlanta Falcons 11-5

Carolina Panthers 8-8

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6-10

What do you think about my thoughts of the NFC South this upcoming season? How do you see things playing out? Will the division come down between the Falcons and Saints? Leave a comment below.

Odell Beckham Jr. has agreed to a five-year extension with the New York Giants that makes him the highest-paid wide receiver in football. The three-time Pro Bowl receiver can receive a maximum $95 million over the course of the deal with $65 million in guaranteed money. The deal eclipses Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown’s $17 million per year average and tops Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans’ $55 million in total guarantees. Beckham is set to make $8.4 million on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract. He has been seeking a contract extension for the better part of the past two years and was optimistic in recent weeks that a deal would work itself out. He is now under contract through 2023.

The deal opens the door for Beckham to make a return to the field for the Sept. 9 season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Beckham has not played in the preseason after breaking his ankle in October and with the likelihood of a new deal lurking. Beckham, 25, had at least 90 catches, 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns in each of his first three professional seasons. He was quickest to 200 receptions and 3,000 yards in NFL history, needing just 30 games to accomplish each feat.

We have knocked out the AFC East and North, now it’s time for the AFC South. Last year, Jacksonville and Tennessee went down to the end to see who would win the division. Indianapolis and Houston season didn’t go as planned. Indianapolis was without Andrew Luck all season as he recovered from shoulder surgery. After starting out the season looking like a potential MVP and Rookie of the Year, Deshaun Watson tore his ACL. Off the backs of their stout defense, Jacksonville won the division and turned that into a deep playoff run. On the other hand, Tennessee made the playoffs and won a road game in Kansas City in the process. How will things turn out in this division this upcoming season? Let’s take a sneak peek on what should transpire.

Houston Texans

The Houston Texans finished with a 4-12 record last season after struggling when Deshaun Watson went down. If the Texans are to have a successful season, they must remain healthy. Houston has been hit with the injury bug to a key player for the last several seasons. Deshaun Watson and J.J. Watt return with the hopes of having an injury-free season. On the offensive side of the ball, they added Sammie Coates to a receiving core that includes DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller. To ensure the backside on the defensive side of the ball, Houston signed Tyrann Mathieu. Whether they’re healthy or not, Houston starts the season with one of the tougher schedules. If Watson remains healthy, this team will show why they’re a team of the future as they’ll finish with a 10-6 record.

Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts finished with a 4-12 record last year, tied with the Houston Texans at the bottom of the division. After missing the entire season last year, Andrew Luck will make his return. The Colts lost a lot of talented players, but they also signed a few players also. The biggest change comes at Head as Frank Reich takes over with the hopes of turning the franchise around. Frank Reich has been great for QBs and should help Andrew Luck in his return. On offense, Indianapolis brought in Eric Ebron and Ryan Grant to help out T.Y. Hilton. Denico Autry and Najee Goode will hopefully help this defense improves this season. Indianapolis won’t make the playoffs this season, but they’ll improve to a 7-9 record.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars finished with a 10-6 record last year and reached the AFC Championship game. Jacksonville will try to improve on their great season from a year ago. This year, they won’t be surprising anyone because the league knows about them. They remain committed to Blake Bortles as they gave him an extension and they added a potential comfort pass catcher in Austin Seferian-Jenkins. Marquise Lee was hurt in their preseason game against Atlanta and is out for the season, which will hurt them. The defense should be one of the best in the league again, but can they mimic last year’s success? I’m predicting this team is here to stay as they’ll finish with a 11-5 record.

Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans finished with a 9-7 record last year and won a playoff game on the road against Kansas City. Despite making the playoffs, the Titans brought in a new coach in Mike Vrabel. To help with the development of Marcus Mariota, they brought in some help. With Mariota having issues with injuries, they brought in Blaine Gabbert to be his backup. They signed Dion Lewis to go along with Derrick Henry in the backfield. They improved immensely on the defensive side of the ball by signing Malcolm Butler, Bennie Logan and Will Compton. They drafted two potential playmakers on the defensive side in Harold Landry and Rashaan Evans. Will the Titans have another great season? I’m predicting they’ll take a step back by finishing with a 8-8 record.

My 2018-2019 AFC South Prediction

Jacksonville Jaguars 11-5

Houston Texans 10-6

Tennessee Titans 9-7

Indianapolis Colts 7-9

What do you think about my thoughts of the AFC South this upcoming season? How do you see things playing out? Can anyone overtake the Jaguars for the division? Leave a comment below.

Let’s move on from the NFC East to the NFC North division to see how things will play out. In the NFC North, they have a pair of teams that have legitimate chances to reach the Super Bowl. Minnesota fell one game short of the Super Bowl last year. Green Bay had to deal with the injury to Aaron Rodgers, who missed most of the season with a shoulder injury. The Chicago Bears made a lot of changes with hopes of returning to the winning ways the Bears are accustomed to. Detroit is hoping to continue to improve and surprise some team like they have in years past. How will things play out? Let’s check it out and see what will happen.

Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears finished with a 5-11 record last year and at the bottom of the division. With Mitchell Trubisky entering his 2nd season under center, they went and got pieces to put around him. They signed Allen Robinson from Jacksonville, who’s looking to bounce back after missing all last year, but three snaps. They added the speedy, Taylor Gabriel from the Falcons and Trey Burton from the Super Bowl champion, Eagles. They are hoping to get some production from former 1st round pick Kevin White, who’s been injured since being drafted a few years ago. The defense continues to improve, and they added Roquan Smith with their first pick from Georgia. Chicago has the potential to have a really good offense if Trubisky continues to improve. This team is headed in the right direction and I envision them improving by at least three games to finish with an 8-8 record.

Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions finished last season with a 9-7 record and missing the playoffs. The biggest change they made during the offseason is hiring Matt Patricia as the new Head Coach. Detroit lost several key players like Eric Ebron, D.J. Hayden, Haloti Ngata and Tahir Whitehead. In the process, Patricia brought in several hey pieces with the hopes of getting that Lions defense on track. While Matthew Stafford is still the key guy on offense, they brought in LeGarrette Blount to help the run game. Detroit has the unfortunate task of being in one of the better divisions in the entire NFL. This will be a tough first season until Matt Patricia as they’ll finish with a 6-10 record.

Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers finished last season with a disappointing 7-9 record. As we all know, Aaron Rodgers was injured against the Minnesota Vikings, but tried to come back early. Eventually he was placed on IR and the team didn’t do well in his absence. Coming into this season, Rodgers will be without his top target for years, Jordy Nelson. Green Bay still have DaVante Adams as he’s one of the top WRs in the league. Green Bay drafted well on both sides of the ball with the hopes of those going guys step up immediately. The Packers signed Jimmy Graham, who could have a career resurrection playing with Aaron Rodgers. Green Bay will be in the running for the playoffs as they’ll finished with a 10-6 record.

Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings finished last season with a 13-3 record and making it to the NFC title game after their miracle. If I had to pick an early season favorite, Minnesota would be one of my favorites. They brought in Kirk Cousins during free agency by giving him $84 million. They also gave Stephon Diggs a huge extension and they brought in Sheldon Richardson to help with an already stout defense. They loss quite a bit from last year’s team, but this team still improved in my eyes. Minnesota had one of the best defenses last year and this one will rank at the top also. Dalvin Cook will return from injury and he’ll provide explosiveness in the backfield. Don’t be surprised if this team finishes with the best record in the NFC with a 12-4 record.

My 2018-2019 NFC North Prediction

Minnesota Vikings 12-4

Green Bay Packers 10-6

Chicago Bears 8-8

Detroit Lions 6-10

What do you think about my thoughts of the NFC North this upcoming season? How do you see things playing out? Can anyone overtake the Vikings for the division? Leave a comment below.